Christopher Glenn, a South Florida computer whiz who once worked as a government military contractor in Central America, was sentenced to life in prison Friday for preying on young Honduran girls for sex. bigjohn36Getty Images/iStockphoto

Christopher Glenn, a South Florida computer whiz who once worked as a government military contractor in Central America, was sentenced to life in prison Friday for preying on young Honduran girls for sex. bigjohn36Getty Images/iStockphoto

South Florida computer whiz gets life for luring underage Honduran girls into sex

Christopher Glenn, a South Florida computer whiz who once worked as a government military contractor in Central America, was sentenced to life in prison Friday for preying on young Honduran girls for sex.

U.S. District Judge Robert Scola highlighted the 37-year-old Glenn's total lack of remorse as he issued the maximum punishment: Glenn was convicted of exploiting girls between 13 and 16 years old for sex while working as a computer contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense in Honduras between 2010 and 2014.

Federal prosecutors Barbara Martinez and Vanessa Singh Johannes called female victims and others to testify against Glenn, whom they described as a smart, shrewd man whose crime was “to take advantage of some of the world’s poorest people.”

They asserted he recruited several Honduran village girls in their teens with enticements of money, shelter and food, then exploited them for sex — even forcing the victims to take what he called “vitamins” that caused them to “black out.” They also said he forced a couple of the girls to marry him in sham ceremonies conducted in Arabic but did not file any paperwork with Honduran officials.

Glenn, who once lived in West Palm Beach, represented himself during the sentencing and at his monthlong federal trial, after first firing his assistant federal public defender and then dismissing another defense attorney appointed by the judge. He even demanded a Spanish interpreter to translate the proceedings, although he was born and raised in New York and spoke fluent English during his prior espionage case.

Glenn, who is already serving 10 years in prison on an espionage conviction, made the mistake of representing himself, said his formerly assigned attorney, Joe Rosenbaum. He said the punishment, which fell within the sentencing guidelines for his offenses, could not have been harsher. Scola issued life sentences for five offenses involving sex-trafficking minors, along with terms from 10 to 30 years for three other related counts — all to run concurrently.

“It’s a sad day when someone gets life, regardless of the crime,” Rosenbaum said, lamenting that Glenn “should have followed the advice of his counsel.”

In March, the 12-person jury found Glenn guilty of eight counts, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, attempting to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, sexual assault of a minor and possession of child pornography.

Glenn’s sex-trafficking trial got off to a rocky start in early February when he repeatedly told the judge that he was not prepared to proceed. Scola accused the defendant of “clearly playing games with this court.”